Pakistan seeks Iranian visits to revive US-Iran peace talks amid rising mistrust

Pakistan’s foreign ministry disclosed that Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has contacted Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, inviting him to Islamabad, while National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq also asked Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf to visit. The invitations aim to preserve a diplomatic pathway as US-Iran hostilities continue and President Donald Trump labeled Tehran “unbelievably duplicitous,” warning of a last opportunity to sign a satisfactory document before “decapitation.”

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei clarified that no direct US talks are underway, only technical discussions with Oman about reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and reaffirmed Pakistan’s ongoing mediation, with Qatar ready to assist if required. Since the war began on Feb. 28, Pakistan has consistently advocated restraint and facilitated dialogue, hosting the first direct US-Iran talks in April that produced the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Masoud Pezeshkian and President Trump. Yet ceasefires have repeatedly collapsed and the MoU’s durability remains uncertain, prompting regional experts to argue that mistrust and shifting US strategies undermine any lasting settlement, while Pakistan’s influence may be limited to providing access rather than guaranteeing compliance.